Helen Giltrow

There is no doubt The Distance is a thriller. It is intense, exciting, and fast-paced. However, none of the action is explicit. Instead, Ms. Giltrow capitalizes on the phenomenon that a reader can typically imagine more horrific scenes than anything an author might put onto paper and deliberately keeps certain scenes ambiguous. In a world as dangerous as the one in which Karla does business, the end result is that those scenes are truly horrifying in spite of a lack of details.

Ms. Giltrow show more does not just deliberately obscure scenes that include bodily harm. Karla’s world is also shadowy. There is a definitive lack of specifics about Karla’s life that can be quite distracting as it lends itself to allowing readers to focus on trying to fill all of the missing gaps of Karla’s world. However, to do so means missing a fantastic story of intrigue, secrets, bad men, false trails, misdirections, and so much more. The reader is set down into Karla’s and Simon’s worlds with no preparation or warning and must maneuver their way through its dangers as well as its secrets. This creates an intimacy between the reader and Karla and Simon that one doesn’t expect but which makes the story so much more suspenseful.

One of the main themes explored throughout The Distance is the idea of guilt. Simon’s resignation to his fate inside the experimental prison colony underscores his personal feelings about the main crime for which he went into hiding. He may be a contracted killer, but he is seeking atonement for his first crime. does his occupation automatically make him a bad guy? Similarly, Karla uses information to blackmail and manipulate others and does so without compunction. Who is the worse criminal? Readers must decide for themselves, but it does make for an interesting ethical discussion.

The Distance is an excellent example of a spy thriller set in the computer age. The ease with which Karla obtains her information and manipulates situations for her benefit is truly frightening. American readers will also find the level of surveillance of British citizens equally disturbing. Simon’s experiences within the prison colony test the limits of human endurance and showcase mankind’s brutality. The story gains much from its very plausibility and the understated method of storytelling Ms. Giltrow adopts. The Distance is definitely an intense read and one that works well for a winter afternoon. show less

The Distance is Helen Giltrow's debut novel.

Giltrow's premise intrigued me - Charlotte Alton, a London, England society woman has a secret life - she deals in information and in those circles is known as Karla. Karla makes things - and people disappear. Simon, a former client, a hired killer, reappears after Karla helped him disappear a few years ago. He's back in the game and needs her firm's help with smuggling him into a prison to carry out a hit. But it's not just any prison....it's a show more self governing prison colony set up in an abandoned village. The inmates are running things. To go in would be crazy.....

Wow! The Distance delivered one heck of a breakneck read. Both Karla and Simon are large than life characters. Karla is able to access, interfere with and manipulate data, people and situations. Simon, well, Simon takes a beating and keeps on ticking. (way beyond what I think any body could handle, but hey it makes for a wild story) The driven nature of both of these characters accelerates the plot into overdrive. And had me yelling "No.....why would you...." more than once.

The protagonists are intriguing, but The Distance is a plot driven book. The narrative switches between Karla and Simon, offering the reader a chance to see what's happening from all sides. But, no one is telling the truth, and everyone has their own agenda. What we think we know is turned upside down a few pages later. The last few chapters are excellent, throwing in a turn I suspected might be coming, but with even more twists included. The ending is excellent, leaving the door open to a second book with these characters perhaps? (Kinda hoping that's true)

I was fascinated with the idea of a self governing prison colony in current times. Giltrow's prison is stark, bleak and brutal. Her descriptions paint very vivid and visceral images. The ease with which Karla manipuates information is frightening. I can see this book as a movie - maybe with Matt Damon or Mark Wahlberg. Not sure who I would choose for Karla.

Gentle readers be warned, there is graphic violence in The Distance. Fans of powerhouse non-stop thrillers that will keep you up - this one's for you. show less

Parts of this book intrigued me. Other parts were tedious. Society woman Charlotte Alton is a high-priced, high-tech criminal by night. She's a fixer, she creates new identities and fixes problems for those deeply enmeshed in dangerous circumstances. As her alter ego Karla she is an anonymous mastermind. But she has fallen for a client, Simon Johansson, who is in deadly trouble with a gang. Simon is working as an assassin, and his assignment is to kill a woman imprisoned in an experimental show more prison colony called "The Program."

The book splits between Karla's intel work in London and Johansson's experiences inside The Program. I found Karla's chapters interesting, but Simon's were torturous, literally and figuratively. The chapters inside The Program were pretty much all torture. Minimal plot, maximum suffering. This is a book in which gore is confused with thrills and suspense. Every single one of the characters in this book double crosses the others. Karla does some stupid things and she should know better. At the end, this is a rather uneven effort. We all know the downfall is coming, it's a matter of turning enough pages to get there. show less

I read this book as an electronic advance reading copy (e-ARC) provided by Edelweiss, and I have sent my comments to the publisher via that web site.

There are few books as tedious as a thriller that lacks thrills. In this book the pacing is slow, the plot is convoluted, the writing is often repetitious, and the characters' behaviors are unbelievable. There is an excessive amount of torture and violence, when what would have been far more interesting is description of how Charlotte/Karla and show more her teammates obtain and manipulate the valuable information that keeps them in business. This book is not recommended for libraries. show less